erosion

American  

[ih-roh-zhuhn] / ɪˈroʊ ʒən /

noun

1. the act or state of eroding; state of being eroded.

2. the process by which the surface of the earth is worn away by the action of water, glaciers, winds, waves, etc.

3. the gradual decline or disintegration of something.

   Each candidate is blaming the other’s party for the erosion of international trade.

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erosion British  

/ ɪˈrəʊʒən /

noun

1. the wearing away of rocks and other deposits on the earth's surface by the action of water, ice, wind, etc

2. the act or process of eroding or the state of being eroded

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erosion Scientific  

/ ĭ-rō′zhən /

1. The gradual wearing away of land surface materials, especially rocks, sediments, and soils, by the action of water, wind, or a glacier. Usually erosion also involves the transport of eroded material from one place to another, as from the top of a mountain to an adjacent valley, or from the upstream portion of a river to the downstream portion.

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erosion Cultural  

1. A type of weathering in which surface soil and rock are worn away through the action of glaciers, water, and wind.

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Other Word Forms

• antierosion adjective
• erosional adjective
• erosive adjective

Etymology

Origin of erosion

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin ērōsiōn- (stem of ērōsiō ), derivative of ērōdere “to gnaw, eat away”; erode, -ion

Example Sentences

“I have long cared about the value of respectfulness; what I see as the erosion of it prompted this book.”

From The Wall Street Journal

"If its vegetation and soil cover are not properly managed, the surface is easily subject to erosion, degrading farmland and forming sand dunes," Turkmen scientist Mukhammet Durikov told AFP.

From Barron's

The erosion of medical care’s fundamental nature as life-giving, hence the American Medical Association’s continued opposition to the practice.

From The Wall Street Journal

"This study revealed the importance of such breccia, which forms due to the erosion of seafloor mountains along mid-ocean ridges, as a sponge for carbon in the long-term carbon cycle."

From Science Daily

The 6,498 "high consequence" defences were among about 8,500 that were not fully working as intended due to erosion, damage or being overgrown.

From BBC

Related Words

• corrosion
• decrease
• destruction
• disintegration